Lawn Tractor Maintenance FAQ

Lawn Tractor Maintenance FAQ

When you make the choice to purchase a lawn tractor, you’re investing in a powerful, efficient machine that’ll serve you for years to come. The key to ensuring your lawn tractor lives a long and healthy life is maintenance. We know that maintenance isn’t a particularly fun task to tackle but we can promise that you’ll be thankful you handled it when your machine continues to perform for several years. There is some basic maintenance you can easily handle on your own. The trick is, of course, to know what you’re doing.

Where Do I Start?

A careful review of your owner’s manual is a great place to start your lawn tractor maintenance. The more you know about your machine and how it works, the more capable you’ll be of handling the maintenance. Of course, the more complex machine you own, the more difficult it can be to maintain on your own. There are a number of tasks that should be fairly easy to accomplish on your owns, such as replacing the fuel filter, cleaning the air filter, changing the oil, changing the blade, and so on. If you run into anything that feels too far out of your scope, be sure to give us a call so we can assist you with your lawn tractor.

What are the Basics?

One basic maintenance requirement is that you’ll want to keep your mower deck as clean as possible. Start by removing the belt guards and blowing off and debris that could damage the belts and other moving parts. A common mistake lawn tractor owners make is trusting the belt guards on top of the mower deck to protect the belts from grass clippings and other pesky debris but this isn’t the case. The spinning belts and pulleys are notorious for sucking in debris and it gets trapped inside. If left uncleaned, the debris will grind away at the pulley surfaces and cause long-term damage to your belts. Nobody wants that!

How Do I Choose the Right Oil?

Another common misconception is that you can toss any old oil into your lawn tractor. While your manual may suggest a specific brand, what you really need to pay attention to is the recommended viscosity. Remember that you should never change the oil without changing the oil filter as well. In order to prevent gunk buildup, wipe away any spilled oil. You should bottle up the oil and take it to your local oil recycling center for proper disposal.

How Do I Change the Blade?

When it’s time to change the blade, remove the mower deck to avoid working beneath the tractor. If you have trouble loosening blade bolts, you can usually free them with a long breaker bar. When you’re ready to install new blades, position them in a U-shaped pattern for improved balance and less vibration. Finish by carefully tightening the blade bolts with a torque wrench so you can avoid breaking them. It’s important to keep in mind that dull blades make your engine and belts work much harder than they need to. Not to mention, dull blades are bad for your lawn. Rather than a clean, even slice, you’ll be left with a torn edge that takes longer to heal.

Here at Mowbility Sales and Service, we carry a broad range of lawn tractors. Visit us today if you’re interested in checking out some models or simply need to stock up on other tools or accessories. We also offer the convenience of a full parts and service department right here at our dealerships. Visit us in Des Moines or Pella, IA today! We also proudly serve Ankeny.